On December 11, 2025, U.S. Representative Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) expressed concern over the House's bipartisan passage of legislation authorizing approximately $901 billion in military spending for the upcoming fiscal year. This decision comes at a time when many Americans are facing increasing health insurance premiums and difficulties in affording basic necessities due to a worsening cost-of-living crisis.

Tlaib, who opposed the military policy bill, criticized her colleagues for prioritizing military funding over essential social services. She stated, "They’re gutting healthcare and food assistance to pay for bombs and weapons. It’s a sick vicious cycle." Tlaib pointed out that Congress had authorized nearly a trillion dollars for military expenditures while simultaneously cutting a trillion dollars from Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

The House's approval of the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) coincided with Republican efforts in Congress to advance healthcare proposals that would not extend enhanced ACA tax credits, which are set to expire soon. This could lead to significant premium increases for millions of Americans. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that a Senate Democratic plan to extend ACA subsidies for three years would cost around $85 billion, a fraction of the military budget recently approved.

The NDAA includes $8 billion more in military spending than the budget request from the Trump administration. According to the National Priorities Project, this additional funding could have been sufficient to restore federal nutrition assistance for millions of individuals expected to lose support due to new work requirements in the Trump-GOP budget law. Tlaib concluded by stating, "Our priorities are disgustingly misplaced."